……
Breakdown of Zorlu sınavda öğrencilerin sabrı sınanıyor.
sınav
the exam
öğrenci
the student
-da
in
sabır
the patience
sınanmak
to be tested
zorlu
difficult
Questions & Answers about Zorlu sınavda öğrencilerin sabrı sınanıyor.
What does the suffix -da in sınavda indicate?
The -da here is the locative case suffix, one of Turkish’s six case endings. It shows “in/at/during.” Because sınav ends in a back vowel a, the suffix harmonizes to -da, so sınavda means “in the exam” or “during the exam.”
How is zorlu formed, and why not just zor?
zorlu = zor (hard/difficult) + adjective-forming suffix -lu (having/with). The result means “full of difficulty,” i.e. “challenging” or “tough.” Vowel harmony makes it -lu (rather than -li/-lü) because zor has a back rounded vowel.
Why is öğrencilerin in the genitive case?
Turkish marks possession by:
- Putting the possessor in the genitive with -in/-ın/-ün/-n.
- Adding a possessive suffix on the possessed noun.
Here, öğrenci- plural -ler
- genitive -in → öğrencilerin = “of the students.”
- plural -ler
Why does sabrı end with -ı? Is it accusative, possessive, or both?
sabrı carries two functions at once:
- Possessive: a third-person suffix (the students’ patience).
- Accusative: marks the noun as a definite object of sınanıyor.
Because both suffixes have the same form -ı, they merge into one.
Is sınanıyor active or passive, and what tense/aspect is it?
sınanıyor is the impersonal passive, present-continuous:
- -n marks the passive voice.
- -ıyor marks present continuous (is …-ing).
Together: is being tested (with no explicit doer).
Why is there no explicit subject (“who” is testing)?
In an impersonal passive, Turkish often omits the agent because it’s unknown, unimportant, or general. The focus is on what happens to the students’ patience, not on who performs the test.
How would you express the same idea in active voice?
You could make the exam the subject and use an active verb:
• Zorlu sınav, öğrencilerin sabrını sınar.
(“The tough exam tests the students’ patience.”)
• Or: Zorlu sınav, öğrencilerin sabrını test ediyor.
(“The tough exam is testing the students’ patience.”)
Why isn’t sabır plural (e.g. sabırları) even though it refers to many students?
Sabır (“patience”) is an abstract, uncountable noun in Turkish. Abstract qualities normally stay singular, so you don’t add a plural suffix even if multiple people share that quality.
More from this lesson
Sınıfta bilgisayar çalışırken adaptörün kablodan ayrıldığını fark ettim.Adaptör arızalandığında yeni bir adaptör almak zorunda kalırsın.biriPrototip modülü test ederken bileşenlerden biri ısınmaya başlamıştı.değişiklikkararlıPrototip üzerinde yaptığımız son değişiklik modülü daha kararlı hale getirdi.yerine getirmek
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Turkish grammar?”
Turkish grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning TurkishMaster Turkish — from Zorlu sınavda öğrencilerin sabrı sınanıyor to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions